King James Bible

Christian Standard Bible

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger,

2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

2you have been snared by the words of your mouth trapped by the words from your mouth.

3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

3Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor's power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

4Don't give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a hunter's trap.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

6Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.

7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

7Without leader, administrator, or ruler,

8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

8it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

9How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,

11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

11and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.

12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

12A worthless person, a wicked man goes around speaking dishonestly,

13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

13winking his eyes, signaling with his feet, and gesturing with his fingers.

14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

14He always plots evil with perversity in his heart; he stirs up trouble.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

15Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly, beyond recovery.

16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

16The LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him:

17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

18a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,

19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

19a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among brothers.

20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

20My son, keep your father's command, and don't reject your mother's teaching.

21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

21Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck.

22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

22When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you.

23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

23For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

24They will protect you from an evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a wayward woman.

25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

25Don't lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

26For a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another man goes after a precious life.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

27Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?

28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

28Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

29So it is with the one who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

30People don't despise the thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry.

31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

31Still, if caught, he must pay seven times as much; he must give up all the wealth in his house.

32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

32The one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself.

33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

33He will get a beating and dishonor, and his disgrace will never be removed.

34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

34For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

35He will not be appeased by anything or be persuaded by lavish bribes.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.